


Lick of Paint

by IllegalCerebral



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Crack, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Garcia saves the day, Team Bonding, Team Fluff, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 19:19:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13794504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllegalCerebral/pseuds/IllegalCerebral
Summary: When Garcia discovers Matt's previously hidden talents for interior design she decides to put them to good use for the team.





	Lick of Paint

It had started out as an innocent enough conversation about how they were going to spend a few well-earned days off but once Penelope found out that Matt was something of an interior design enthusiast it mushroomed into something far bigger than either of them expected. 

Kristy warned Garcia over a team barbecue, once Matt got going he couldn’t be stopped. He was like a soft furnishings hurricane, devastating everything in his wake. Garcia just laughed it off and went to let Prentiss in on her plan. Kristy just sighed, she wished she’s told her about the six hours mission to fined just the right bed sheets with a certain thread count that wouldn’t irritate his skin.

* * *

_“Matt, honey, when you were in the army you slept on the ground in sand and dirt. Can’t we just grab a matching set and go?”  
_

_“I can’t sleep in a low thread count, anything less than 600 and I’m awake all night. Plus you spend half your life in bed, you should make sure your mattress and your sheets reflect that.”  
_

_“Those blue sheets are 700, please baby let’s just go”  
_

_“Kristy...that’s not blue that’s Robin’s Egg”_

“Garcia I’m not sure about this” said Prentiss “the bureau has building maintenance people and we have a case load that doesn’t really make time for DIY”

“Emily” Garcia dragged her name out, like child desperate for a treat “The briefing room is so beige and boring and so draining. We need a pick me up. Matt says he can do it quickly and cheaply, he says all the room needs is maybe a lick of paint and then the rest of the work is finding the accents.”

“Accents?”

“He did my beach house” said Rossi, “I didn’t actually ask him too but it’s very classy now. The guy has good taste.”

They both looked at Prentiss with puppy dog eyes and the weight of it pressed down on her.

“I’m going to regret this aren’t I?”

* * *

“It’s Saturday” grumbled JJ, sploging the paint only the wall in a slap dash way “Saturday. A day of rest and relaxation, not a day to come into the office to throw some paint around.”

“It’s kind of...relaxing” said Tara “And the white colour is kind of nice, makes the room look bigger.”

“Tara” said Matt, patiently “It’s magnolia. But you’re right it does open up the room and it’s going to make a nice contrast to the feature wall.”

“Wait, feature wall?” Prentiss’ head snapped up. She and Luke were currently wresting with a flat pack bookshelf.

“It’s blue steel-WAIT REID THAT’S FOR THE WALL NOT THE DOOR!”

Reid made a noise like a startled rabbit and immediately dropped the paintbrush onto the floor.

“Oh shit, sorry I-”

‘It’s fine, it’s fine. We can work with this” said Matt, taking a couple of deep breaths “Now we have a feature door and a feature wall and it ties the room together.”

“Isn’t that a Feng Shui thing?” asked Garcia excitedly. She had been given the job of assembling cacti in mason jars to put on the bookshelf if Luke and Prentiss ever finished it.

“This isn’t 1975 Garcia” sighed Matt “We will need to re-carpet now too, hide that paint smear.”

“We aren’t re-carpeting” said Emily, giving the bookshelf a swift kick and causing it to fall apart again.

“But Emily”

“But nothing. I swear to god I’m going to put so many bullets in this thing...”

“How about a rug to cover the stain?” said Rossi, leaning back in one of the covered chairs.

“That may work” said Matt “Also, do wanna maybe try lending a hand?”

“No”

“It’s actually kind of fun” said Reid, turning back to the door “I’ve never actually re-decorated anywhere before”

Both Matt and JJ turned to face him, concern etched on their faces.

“You’ve re-done your apartment though right Reid?” asked Matt

“No, never got round to it.”

“Spence didn’t you get it cheap because someone died in it?” asked JJ.

“Yeah!”

“Wait you live in an apartment someone died in and you didn’t re-paint or anything?” asked Matt, his voice very quiet and his face very pale.

“The whole place was deep cleaned before I moved in” said Reid with a small shrug “i just put in my furniture after.”

“I’ve eaten in a corpse apartment” mumbled JJ, eyes closed.

“Have you at least swapped the furniture around, freshened up the place?” asked Matt.

“No, no need. It’s all really sturdy stuff.”

“Sturdy means ugly” said Rossi.

“It’s not ugly it’s practical!” said Reid “Matt are you okay? There’s a vein in your neck that wasn’t as prominent a minute ago...”

“I. Am. Fine.” said Matt, stiffly “I just need to go to my happy place.”

Reid looked bemused for a moment and then turned back to happily slapping paint onto the door. 

Garcia paused her cacti rambling for a moment, the gears in her brilliant brain going into overdrive.

* * *

For the next three weeks Matt insisted on driving Reid home after every case.

Reid appreciated it, he had long since gotten over his wariness of new team members and Matt was interesting to talk to and supportive. He reminded Reid of Morgan a little bit in that sense, so he didn’t mind when Matt somehow managed to get inside his apartment for a post drive coffee though he wasn’t quite sure what the measuring tape was for.

* * *

A strangled sound that could  _possibly_  be construed as a protest escaped from the back of Reid’s throat.

“We’ll put them all back” said Garcia soothingly as his books - his beautiful, precious books - disappeared into box after box. 

“The bookshelves are going to be the main feature” said Matt, piling the boxes in the bedroom (that was going to be the next room he tackled). He strode into the middle of the now empty room, arms spread wide. Garcia kept a reassuring grip on Reid’s arm.

“Bookshelves draw the eye but we’re swapping the dark wood for a light one, something fresh. We need a lot of soft furnishings too, soft and light are the main themes of this. Did you see the mood board I made you?”

Reid nodded mutely. 

“Good. I have scatter cushions, you need to be comfy when you’re reading and there needs to be more lamps. You’ll ruin your eyes otherwise. I’m not doing anything too drastic to the kitchen but the paint will match. Do you actually cook at all Reid?”  
  
“No, never. Where’s my blanket?”  
  
“It’s an afghan Reid. Don’t worry, it’s staying, I’m using the colour scheme for the rugs, cushions and other textiles. Now everybody grab a paintbrush.”

Pretty soon the smell of paint hung heavy in the air, his desk was gone, his sofa had been reupholstered and the walls were a different colour. According to Matt they were something called “Pebble”.

It looked like beige to Reid.

* * *

“You like it!” gushed Matt as he handed out mugs of coffee.

“I never said that” protested Reid “Though it is a lot lighter in here now”

“And so cosy without being dark” said JJ

“Bedroom next then bathroom” said Matt “I made more mood boards”

Meanwhile Prentiss and Garcia stood to one side watching as the others talked animatedly about double versus kingsize beds and wardrobe fittings.

“Reid didn’t get too overwhelmed” said Garcia. Prentiss only nodded in response, her eyes never leaving the group.

“He wasn’t willing to move, god knows why” Garcia continued “I just thought if we could make the apartment look different then-”

“It would remind him less of Cat and Lindsey and what they did” finished Prentiss “I think it’s worked. Even if you had to steamroller him a bit to do it.”

“Plus it was a great bonding experience” pushed Garcia “Matt feels fully part of the team now, we have a lovely new briefing room and Spence’s living room looks almost like it could come out of some fancy magazine.”  
  
“I’ll give you three out of four” grinned Prentiss. Her eyes fell on where Reid was pouring out glasses of wine “This was a good idea. It was needed.”  
  
Garcia beamed.

“Hey guys get over here. We’re making a toast!”

“Toasting what?” asked Prentiss.

“The wonders a lick of paint can do” laughed Matt.


End file.
